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Owing to the current ongoing situation, the DTCA 2020 AGM which had been booked for the end of June, cannot now take place. We will have to try and reschedule for later in the year once matters are clearer.

Production of the DTCA special edition Omnisport model has been postponed.

Nothing special, Richard, just my (peculiar?) way of collecting and diving into a subject.

The signs just hang loosely, one 'leg' resting on the shelf front edge, the model resting on it in many cases.

Previously I made the signs pasted on aluminium L-strip, but these were too dangerous when falling down by accident, because even aluminium is relatively heavy and with harmful, sharp edges. So these are in the process of being replaced, in the course of time, step by step (still a few hundreds to go ...).

The study/hobbyroom changed into a busy (and tight) workroom this weekend, making quite some progress with the new extension of my display facilities. Two shelves with periodicals and atlases were removed to accommodate a new display unit on top of my ships models unit. It will have the same frontal slope continuing upwards to reach the narrower shelve with 'ceiling displays' which it will support in the end (these, and their contents, have been temporarily removed now). I made the final design scheme at the end of last week, bought some timber and started sawing, fitting and fixing the main rough construction this weekend. Finishing the outside and inside to be continued ... Kind regards, Jan

This is not directly about displays, but some of the hazards. Most of my collection is behind doors which are solid (no light through), but a few items are on open shelves. Recently there was a magnitude 7.5 Richter earthquake near my home. There was an interesting effect on the open shelf ones - some going forward and others going back. None fell off however. Unfortunately a couple of the doors were open and a few made their escape to the floor. No damage as the floor has a thick carpet.

Thanks for you concern. Luckily I think we were just outside the damage area whereas areas closer to the epicenter (south of us) did suffer damage (only about 10 kms away). Today we have very heavy rain and flooding, but we are safe from that.

You certainly were very fortunate. It appears that a very essential item to have in the Land of the Long White Cloud is to have a very thick carpet at the base of every display case! New Zealand has certainly been copping its fair share of earthquakes in recent times.

I am glad I have my collection safely ensconced in many plastic lidded boxes with them sitting close to the floor!

At least they are also safe from binatangs (silverfish, moths etc) as well as earthquakes of which Australia is fortunate in not having very many.

But you were certainly very lucky Ron, and I can only wish you continued good luck during these very unsettling times in New Zealand.

Hi all, fortunately I cannot complain about earth quakes, but, living below sea level, I have always been well aware to keep, display and store everything that is dear to me above sea level, secure and dry when the dikes collapse! Kind regards, Jan

Hi all, some 1.5 months after conceiving a new additional display I managed to virtually complete it, slightly sooner than I had scheduled. But the whole project is not complete yet, the layout shown is provisional and makes part of an overall re-arrangement of the entire collection, because everything has started to move now. Moreover, the new display case itself will need some slight adjustments in order to function smoothly. And it will not be fully locked until half December, to be sure that all paint, kit, cement used is thoroughly, 100% dry and without any vapour accumulating inside the closed display unit.

As this display, like the ships display below, is much deeper than the majority of my display units, I decided to include lighting. This LED lighting is without any heat and in practice I will only turn it on for a quick glimpse or at a special occasion in order to avoid any discoloration.

Three deep shelves could be inserted and the base is covered with nice red velvet, similar to my other displays. As the angle of the display’s front below is continued up to the ‘ceiling displays’ I did not need to construct complicated and less dust proof glass doors. The glass plates just rest in that angle and are supported by the base. Less than half a millimeter is the seam in between, much better dust proof than average sliding or hinged doors. I have even made some small holes in the back for allowing some minimal ventilation. It did require some very accurate working indeed to have everything perfectly square.

Starting the operation it was just the need for space in general, I had no specific idea of what items would be on display there. In the course of the work I had the time to think about that and it turned out that it could easily accommodate my modest size pre-war Dinky collection, mainly ships, aeroplanes and some gift sets, which deserve a nicer way of displaying. Having extracted them from my existing displays they left a lot of space there, allowing to have a far more spacious line-up of the rest of the collection. Now I have started the re-arranging of the contents of these. I presume that everything will be settled definitively early December.

Jan----Congratulations on the completion of your new display area....it looks very nice, and fits in perfectly with your existing unit below. I meant to ask you just how deep your normal display shelves are; I know this one is deeper, due to the angle, but I am assuming your normal Dinky displays are maybe 10" or so deep. Reason I am asking is that we are contemplating building a whole new display cabinet.....badly needed, as my current one is terribly crowded.....thanks!
Best regards, Terry

An intriguing question that is Terry, because all display units are custom made, suitable for the models they were to contain and depending on the space available at various locations in my study/hobby room.

The vast majority of my shallow cabinets are 15 cm deep (60,25 m). But I also have ultra shallow cabinets (like the 'ceiling displays') of 8 cm deep (18,00 m).

Jan----Thanks for your reply and further information on the depth of your shelves. My display case will be somewhat boring, and only one depth, unless I decide to make a deeper cabinet on the bottom, with a shallower one on top....we will see!
Best regards, Terry

Here is my collection of French Dinky military vehicles. Most are in excellent/mint condition with their boxes. I don't have every casting variation, wheel type or box type but hopefully will get them all in time.

Here is my collection of English military Dinky Toys. There is a much greater range than the French military Dinky collection in terms of casting variations, wheel types, wording on the bases and box variations so I have a long way to go to find them all.

Browsing some older files of scans and pictures I came across this one, the Japanese collector Noboru Nakajima in his collection room. Now I realize that his very handy booklet 'Model Cars of the World', amply available around 1980, was one of the main reasons and inspiration for me to re-start collecting Dinky Toys in December 1979 and, especially, to take this kind of displaying as an example and goal for the future: a wall full of Dinky Toys. Now, almost four decades later, I am extremely happy to have reached that goal. Besides, this photo, too, made me constantly aware to avoid any overcrowding! Kind regards. Jan

As a collector you always look with full interest at the collection of another and can inspire you enormously. That gives a lot of collectors fun and collectors friendship, both for those who show his collection and those who comes to admire it. At the same time, you also look with interest at the way in which someone else has exhibited his collection and whether you can get any ideas about it. It can inspire you to follow such an example or not.

As you yourself say, you want to be careful not to show your models as cramped as you can see on the photo of the Japanese collector Noboru Nakajima in his collection room in your contribution.

Because I personally have seen your collection, I can say with full conviction that you have succeeded so far. You have a wide and attractive display of your collection in closed wall display cases. Not in the sun, but with enough (day)light to see everything properly. Museum worthy.

You have the disposal of a number of walls where you have the models attractively and spaciously arranged, giving a good and pleasant overview in the type of models that belong together. In addition, you have provided a description for each model. It gives a very calm image and every model is easy to view. I congratulate and compliment you for having achieved this, because that can only be done with great care and passion for the models. You can be proud of this result and that may be said, but as you yourself say: you want to avoid any overcrowding! .

Does this statement mean that you have come to a point where your spatial arrangement is almost full and you hardly have room to maintain it in the way that you like?

Hi Jan, thanks for your comment. Yes, the more I think of it, the sight of this overwhelming (but admittedly far too crowded) display must really have been my inspiration so many years ago. The contents of my display walls have now reached the stage that I pursued almost 40 years ago indeed, still having the models displayed lengthwise. There is some space capacity remaining, however, before I would have to arrange them 'parking-place wise' (which I will not do). Another 10% as a maximum is acceptable. Keeping in mind that replacing poorer models by excellent models is more important to me nowadays than increasing the number of models, the capacity will do. Besides, I plan/expect to 'complete' my collection with the remaining models on my wishlist within 2-3 years from now and these additions will fit perfectly within that 10% capacity reserve. No, I will not try to add all colours and variants or unusual (and expensive) rarities. It must be a good representation of current models in fine condition. Enough is enough. Kind regards, Jan W

Summer is (almost) over so it's time to resume projects inside the house. This one is a recent embellishment of my displays, with some modest yellow Dinky Toys signs and well-known publicity statements. In the middle the scope of my collecting field: Dinky Toys & Dinky Supertoys, the first 25 years - 1934-1959.